Years & Years are back on the scene with pop-party anthem ‘Starstruck’. It is their first track since announcing the trio is now an Olly Alexander solo act and its vibrant energy is just as infectious as previous successful albums Palo Santo (2019) and Communion (2015).
Co-written with Clarence Coffee Jr, Mark Ralph, and Nathaniel Ledwidge, the track’s pace picks up from the offset, pulling you with its boss beat and catchy lyrics. There’s an evident disco influence, injected with some pop to create its unique sound. It’s hugely uplifting, sparking a warmth internally and a smile externally. Olly brings a carefree nature to the song, sharing the elation that comes when falling in love – it’s contagious as a listener. With the chorus lyrics “I can’t help it I get starstruck around you / what do I do baby?” it’s also relatable – we’ve all experienced that giddy excitement and butterflies when falling in love.
Pushing boundaries
With previous albums exploring sexuality, gender identity, equality, love, and acceptance, Olly successfully uses music to push these boundaries. He could also be alluding to self-love throughout ‘Starstruck’, harnessing a love for oneself and holding onto the comfort and freedom that comes with that. Ultimately, the song radiates positivity as it is based on love, connection, and all that’s part of the foundational make-up of being human.
“with cheesy synths, groovy instrumentation, and a punchy baseline”
The single oozes joy: its euphoric message is a perfect match for its disco sound; a melody that’s impossible not to groove and sing along to. Filled with cheesy synths, groovy instrumentation, and a punchy baseline, it’s certainly a feel-good bop to dance around to as Olly does in the official video. The video was released on 12 April, four days after the single dropped. It features Olly displaying his bubbly, fun-loving personality, enjoying himself through dancing and messing around in cloud-covered pyjamas. His effortless vocals throughout are coloured with beautiful harmonies and his gorgeous tone adds the cherry on top for this sweet, delicious track.
More to come
In a statement, Olly said the new song “came together one night at a studio in the countryside. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen so many stars, you get used to them not being there when you live in the city. Since we’ve all had to stop, all I’ve wanted to do is go out and dance. So I’ve been putting all that pent up energy into the music.”
“it’s about holding onto a good feeling and not letting it go”
He added: “’Starstruck’ is about the rush you get when you’re with somebody you’re really into, it’s about holding onto a good feeling and not letting it go. Like most of us, I’ve spent the past year at home, and I wanted to create something super positive and fun for people (and myself) to bop along too. Whatever we’re doing or wherever we are in life, I think we all deserve three minutes of interstellar ecstasy.”
It’s a huge hit and has certainly built an excitement for Olly’s upcoming music and what’s to come.
Danielle Saunders
Featured image courtesy of Vincentiu Solomon on Unsplash. No changes were made to the image. Image license can be found here.
Danielle Saunders
Danielle is an aspiring Journalist. She currently has her own Blog sharing stories throughout lockdown and removing the stigma that surrounds mental health. Passionate about allowing news to reach a wide demographic, she runs a TikTok 'newswithdanielle' where she shares digestible daily news update in 60 seconds. She has previously written articles for the likes of 'The Mindful Word' and 'The Mental Health Foundation' and 'The Meridian'.